Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-01-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.

work again; the President is almost
well of his rheumatism; Mrs. Cleve-
land has begun holding semi-weekly
MONDAY receptions; there is an organ
lied fight against the confirmation OF
reformer Benedict, the new Public
Printer; unfounded rumors of Cabinet
changes continue to float through the
air, and there is good deal of talk
about an extra session.
The tariff question by no means re-
ceived a quietus in the recent vote
against discussing revenue bills, and a
number of plans are spoken Of for get
ting it up in Congress yet before the
close of the session. When Hon. S. s.
Cox was asked what was now the par
amount question before Congress, he
replied: "The tariff, unquestionably.
Never since have been in Congress
has the tariff question assumed such
proportions" He thinks a majority
in the House of Representatives would
vote for a reduction of the tax on
sugar. The reason for sugar legisla-
ton is that it is an clement of life, alb
solutely indispensable, almost as much
of necessity as bread itself. The
amount of the tax upon that article,
through the tariff, can easily be esti-
mated by those who choose to figure
on It.
Mr.. Cox will succeed Mr.. Hewitt on
the Ways and Means Committee, for
the remainder of the session, and it is
thought he intends to take an aggres-
sive part in trying to bring about re-
duction of the revenue this session. 1t
is said he has an idea for bringing
about compromise by which enough
votes can be had to at least take up
the consideration of the tariff question.
In the Senate also, it is said, Senator
Vest will soon introduce resolution
asking Congress to take some step
that will bring about the proposed re-
duction of the surplus. 1t is under
stood that the President is seriously
urging the matter, and that what both
Senator Vest and Representative Cox
do will be done at his suggestion.
The President has said that unless
something was done, he would be COM
PEELED to call an extra session of the
Fiftieth Congress shortly after the ex-
piration of this. The impression
grows daily that one may be called,
and in that event the appointment of
a successor to Col. Morrison, as Chair
man of the Ways and Means Commit
tee, will soon take place. The organi-
cation of the next Congress and the
formation of its policy may begin as
soon as this session ends.
The persistency with which certain
newspaper correspondents have tried
to make President Cleveland danger
ously sick man is as ludicrous as are
the attempts of the same inexorable
pen-drivers to break up Mr.. Cleve-
lands Cabinet. Rumors about Cabi-
net changes, that begin with the resig-
nation of Secretary Manning, follow
with the retirement of Secretary Bay
ard and end with the displacement of
Attorney General Garland, find their
way to Washington from distance
every two or three weeks, and are as
often denied. The latest gossip makes
Ex-Governor Hoadley, of Ohio, the sue
cessor of both Messrs. Manning and
Garland.
Congress goes on adding to the 12,-
600 bills already on the calendar, pill
ing up a new batch every week, just
as if its life were going to last forever.
A large number of bills have been in
troduced providing for agricultural ex-
pertinent stations in the different
States, and although nothing has yet
been done for them, bills of the same
kind continue to be presented.
Mr.. Reall, of New York, who is
the President of the American Diary
Association, is here for the purpose of
promoting agricultural interests in
Congress. The three pending meas
ures that the association is most anx-
ious to have passed are, the Depart
ment of Agriculture bill, the Animal
Industry bill, and the bill for Agricul-
tural Experiment Stations. Mr.. Reall
holds that the Oleomargarine bill! has
already proved itself to be the most
useful piece of legislation ever enacted
by Congress i'll the interests of agri-
culture. 1t is stated that the law has
so far saved over $1,OOO,0OO to the
dairy farmers of New York State
alone.
The Senate is WI sitting with the In.
terstate Commerce bill now, and it is
said Senator Evarts intends opposing
it on the ground that it violates, in
some way, the treaty of Washington
Recently, i'll a group of Senators
which was discussing their associates
in the upper house, it was asked why
the able VIM. NJ. Evarts had made
such little impression in the Senate
He had cxpressed no positive opinion
on any important question since he
entered it. "Ah, Mr.. Evarts has been
engaged all his life in cases where he
was paid by retainer to form his
opinion on one side or the other" was